Paving a New Path...

New Horizon School has provided excellence in Islamic and academic education to children between the ages of 2 and 12 for three decades.

The school was established in 1984 as a preschool in a leased building in the city of South Pasadena. Three years later NHS moved to Los Angeles and into a building attached to the Islamic Center of Southern California. As the school expanded, its elementary grades moved back to Pasadena in 1989, though the preschool and kindergarten remained in Los Angeles.

In 1992, the Islamic Center of Southern California purchased a 35,000 square foot vacant lot on the corner of Cypress Avenue and Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena and began breaking ground for a new campus.

NHS Pasadena opened its doors to students in Preschool through 6th Grade in the fall of 1993, and by the following year added 7th grade with the decision to also add a middle school.

By 1995 NHS Pasadena was accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) (3-year term) and added 8th grade. NHS Pasadena also began its middle school program for grades 5-8. Concept of School System among three (3) campuses was established the following year.

NHS Pasadena held its Grand Opening for Middle School Campus for grades 5-8 in 1999 and was awarded its first full 6-year term of accreditation by CAIS and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) the same year.

In 2005, the school was awarded the nationally recognized Blue Ribbon by the U.S. Department of Education and was also awarded a second full 6-year term of accreditation by CAIS and WASC.

The school celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Globe Theater in Universal Studios and received an award from the Mayor of Pasadena in 2009, and two years later, NHS Pasadena was awarded its third full 6-year term of accreditation by CAIS and WASC.

In an ongoing effort to improve its campus and student experience, NHS Pasadena opened its Nature Playground in 2012 on the Lower School Campus and earned certification as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

The school was subsequently recognized by Nickelodeon’s Big Help program for efforts in area of greening the school and achieved the Green Ribbon School award from Green Ribbon Schools.org.

In the years following, the school embarked on a new project to install a Peace Garden on the middle school campus, an outdoor classroom for fostering environmental education and stewardship, community-building, STEM proficiency, and nature appreciation. In the spring of 2015, the school held its Garden Groundbreaking with attendance by Mayor Bill Bogaard, a long-time friend of New Horizon. The dedication and official opening of the garden is scheduled for Fall 2016.